Barrington Awarded $80K State Grant To Build 4 Pickleball Courts

BARRINGTON, RI — Barrington received one of 16 grants from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's $4.1 million package for local recreation projects.

State officials awarded Barrington $80,000 to convert Chianese Field into four pickleball courts. The grant will pay for a new playing surface, fencing and permanent pickleball posts and nets.

Statewide, the grants funded 16 projects across the state, including new athletic fields, playgrounds, a splash park, a dog park, a kayak/canoe launch, a pump track, walking trails, basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts, and various site improvements.

These projects are funded by green bonds, which are submitted to the Rhode Island General Assembly as part of the Governor's proposed budget. If included in the enacted budget, the bonds are put to the voters as a referendum question on the ballot every two years. Historically, these measures pass overwhelmingly, with the 2021 green bond garnering nearly 80 percent of the vote statewide.

The grants require the community to match the funds and range from $72,000 to $400,000.

"Investments in recreational facilities tie our communities together and are integral to both physical and mental health and well-being," Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. "This is why I included a budget article proposing a $38 million Green Economy and Clean Water bond that will capitalize future local recreation spending in my fiscal year 2023 budget. Providing the funds to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to connect with nature, recreate, and exercise are central to our quality of life."